Golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus

ABSTRACT

A golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus assists players develop their short game by demarking the fall line of a green on the low side of a target area or cup. The overlay includes a sight area which is placed over top of a target area or cup. The player shoots upon the green proper, the ball ending upon the overlay. If ending in the sight area, then the player has holed the shot. If the shot ends upon the overlay, but outside of the sight area, then the player has misjudged the break but has used the correct amount of force to properly hole the shot had the break been properly judged. The overlay is useful for practicing on actual greens where a player is apt to play.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Be it known that I, Kenneth Walter Carlson, a citizen of the United States, have invented new and useful improvements in a golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus as described in this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many devices for assisting golfers improve their putting are known in the art, including apparatuses that attach to or modify golf clubs, devices that present a surface upon which a putter may practice by targeting specific areas demarked upon the surface, or by other means and methods devised to assist golfers in developing their putting and short game.

Most mats or surfaces devised for practice putting require the user putt on the surface proper. The surface may or may not be devised for off-course or indoor use. The surface may or may not be configured to represent the speed of a green. Some mats may include demarcations and other markings to assist in controlling the putt, aiming the shot, and developing overall control and technique. But none of these mats or overlays are typically usable upon a green proper.

The present invention, however, contemplates a topographic overlay that is devised for use upon the green proper. The present topographic overlay is devised to position upon the green to demark the fall line of the green at the low side of the cup or, where the player is aiming for a particular area to practice putting, a designated target area upon the green proper.

The player therefore putts upon the green surface and not upon the overlay, aiming for the target area or cup by visualizing the fall line and the lay of the land whereby the ball, if aimed correctly and hit with the requisite speed and drive, drops into the cup by rolling along the fall line from the high side assisted by action of gravity. The golfer merely aims for the apex at the high side of the cup, as demarked by the topographic overlay, which is positioned to visually demark the low side of the target area or cup and thus, by extension, the high side of the target area or cup.

The present topographic overlay, therefore, allows a golfer to practice upon a green proper to assist the golfer by visually representing the fall line of the green. Because missed shots position the ball to rest upon the overlay downslope of the target area or cup, the topographic overlay may include indicia thereupon by which a golfer may better contemplate the line of the missed shot and, therefore, undertake corrective action.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the golf training arts, and more particularly, to a golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus that is devised for use upon a green proper to demark and signal to a golfer the position of the fall line and the lay of the land.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus has been devised to aide golfers in improving their short game. The present apparatus provides a topographic overlay that is directly positional upon a golf green, devised to visually mark the fall line of the green whereby a golf putt, chip, or pitch targeted appropriately, will be aided by gravity from the high side to ensure holing the shot.

Most amateur golfers tend not to play enough break when putting, meaning they frequently miss the putt on the low side of the cup. The present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus has been devised to mark the fall line on the low side of the cup whereby golfers are encouraged visually to aim for the top side, give enough break, and then allow gravity to finish holing the shot. The result is a remarkably effective apparatus for quickly improving a golfer's short game and boosting the player's confidence.

The present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus, therefore, presents useful improvements in the art because it is usable directly upon a golf green, positioned immediately downslope of a target area whereby a golfer's putt, chip or pitch accelerates the golf ball mainly upon the green proper, toward the target area, which is demarked by the present apparatus. Only missed shots (or shots taken from downslope of the target area along the fall line proper, or shots hit through the target area) position the golf ball to roll upon the apparatus surface. As such, the speed of the green is maintained and the golfer is enabled to practice golf shots upon the green proper rather than on a simulated surface that is unlikely to match the actual characteristics of the natural green proper. A golfer may therefore experiment with actual lines upon a green of a course whereat he or she is apt to play and/or compete.

The present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus, then, includes an expanse of a thin, polymeric or rubberlike material that is devised to position upon a golf green immediately downslope of a target area, having a vertical line disposed to point to the low side of the target area and, by extension, to signal the high side of the target area. When a terminus of the vertical line is correctly positioned to abut normal the low side of the target area, then the span of the line should demark the fall line of the green downslope of the target area. Breaks can thereby be better intuited by a golfer contemplating the green.

It should be noted that, as used herein throughout, the term “target area” is taken to be a targeted point disposed upon the green proper—a point selected by the golfer for the purposes of practice in experimenting with particular lines upon the green proper. The target area may include a cup in the green; however, it is not necessary that the present apparatus be used specifically in conjunction with a cup—any target area upon the green or putting or practice green will suffice to assist the golfer to develop his or her short game skills.

The expanse of thin, polymeric or rubberlike material, therefore, includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface is devised to contact the ground when the apparatus is in use and may include a rubberlike laminate or other layer provided for frictional engagement with the ground. The top surface may include a transparent laminate devised to have a coefficient of friction approximate to a natural green. The expanse includes a leading edge, devised to be positioned immediately adjacent and in close proximity to the target area. A sight area is disposed upon the top surface proximal the leading edge to demark the target area in outline. The sight area represents either the desired endpoint of a putt directed at a target area that is not a cup or, where a cup is specifically used as the target area, to directly overlie the cup so that a shot perfected to the target area is holed in the cup. Thus, the golfer aims to the high side (also known as the “pro side”) and aims to terminate the putt at the high side of the target area whereby gravity will ensure holing the shot or ending the shot within the sight area demarking the target area. Where the target area in-use is not a cup, but rather an area upon the green proper as selected by the golfer for the purposes of practicing shooting particular lines, then the sight area upon the top surface of the apparatus presents an end point representative of holing the shot. The sight area includes a pair of nested circles demarked thereupon, into which the ball should roll if the golfer has maintained a correct line to the high side of the target area. An outer circle is disposed bounding the sight area, and has a diameter if 4.25″, the diameter of a standard cup. Completing the putt within the outer circle, then, represents that, were the target area a cup, the golfer would have successfully holed the putt. Where the sight area is disposed to overlie a cup, then the circumference of the outer circle directly bounds the underlying cup, and a ball entering the sight area will be holed.

The sight area also includes an inner circle nested interior to the outer circle. The inner circle has a diameter of a standard golf ball (1.68″) nested centrally within the outer circle. The inner circle represents a precise and perfect shot and provides the golfer with an exact target where the golfer chooses to play for a target area that is not a cup proper, but the sight area itself. A putt resulting in the ball resting in the bounds of the outer circle represents a holed shot. A putt resulting in the ball resting in the bounds of the inner circle represents a holed shot and a masterful level of precision.

The present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus presents further useful improvements in the art. A well placed putt that breaks and misses the target area should, if the correct amount of force is used, come to rest within 12″ of the target area. As such, since missed balls typically break to the low side, the top surface of the polymeric expanse includes an arc depicted thereupon demarking a 12″ radius from the sight area. If the golfer misses the target area and the shot was properly taken with the correct amount of force to hole the shot without overshooting but for the break, then the ball should come to rest between the leading edge and the arc. If the ball comes to rest outside the arc, then the golfer is hitting the ball too hard. The position of the ball interior to the arc further signals the line and break to inform correction of the error in player's aim. Further, to assist in adequate distance control, the golfer is enabled to see when the golfer's shot rolls directly through the sight area, and comes to rest within the arc, which signals that the shot may have been holed despite ample force driving the ball through the sight area.

The top surface of the overlay may include additional indicia useful in determining corrective action to improve one's short game or to better represent and visually signal the topography of the green, such as including a grid, for example, whereby the underlying topography is depicted in the distortions rendered to the grid and, further, whereby the lines of a golfer's missed shots are better articulated and comprehended visually upon the top surface. The grid may also assist in visually signaling shots that come to rest within the arc and that would have been holed by passing directly over the sight area.

In order to facilitate correct placement of the leading edge with the terminus of the vertical line positioned normal to the low side of the target area in demarcation of the fall line, a horizontal line may be depicted upon the top surface, disposed in parallel with the leading edge and at right angles relative to the vertical line, such that the horizontal line bisects the sight area and crosses the vertical line in the center of the sight area to therefore visually emphasize and demark the outer and inner circles and the center of the sight area. The horizontal line, disposed right angularly relative to the vertical line, visually assists in positioning the overlay such that the vertical line demarks the fall line of the green immediately down slope of the low side of the target area or hole.

Objects of the present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus, along with various novel features that characterize the invention are particularly pointed out in the claims forming a part of this disclosure. For better understanding of the golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, refer to the accompanying drawings and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figures

FIG. 1 is a top elevation view of an example embodiment of the golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a top elevation view of an example embodiment disposed upon a ground surface.

FIG. 3 is a top elevation view of an example embodiment disposed upon a ground surface.

FIG. 4A is a top elevation diagrammatic view of an example embodiment illustrating a break of a shot.

FIG. 4B is a top elevation diagrammatic view of an example embodiment illustrating a break of a shot.

FIG. 4C is a top elevation diagrammatic view of an example embodiment illustrating a break of a shot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It should be noted that although the example embodiments illustrated herewith are depicted rectangularly, additional shaped overlays are contemplated as within scope of this disclosure wherein the expanse is positional to denote a target area and demark the fall line from the high side to the low side of the target area.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. 1 through 4C thereof, example of the instant golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus employing the principles and concepts of the present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus and generally designated by the reference number 10 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of the present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus 10 is illustrated in top elevation view. Overlay 10 has top surface 20 whereon is depicted sight area 22. Sight area 22 includes outer circle 24 and inner circle 26. Outer circle 24 has a diameter the same size as a standard sized cup. Inner circle 26 has a diameter the same size as a standard sized golf ball.

Overlay 10 is positional upon a ground surface whereby sight area 22 demarks a target area. For use on a golf green, sight area 22 may be positioned overtop of a cup or, alternatively, elsewhere on the green whereby a player may practice different lines with mind to the topography of the green. Overlay 20 is usable upon a green for target practice without damaging the green and no additional holes are required for use. Overlay 20 is readily portable and may be placed as desired upon the green or elsewhere where practice of the short game is desired.

Overlay 10 includes leading edge 28 and distal edge 30. Top surface 32 includes vertical line 34, disposed bisecting sight area 22, from terminus 36 at leading edge 28 to distal edge 30. In a preferred embodiment contemplated herewith, vertical line 34 is 12″ in length. Top surface 20 also includes horizontal line 38 disposed in parallel with leading edge 28 and bisecting sight area 22 at right angles relative to vertical line 34. Arced line 40 is disposed spanned from one end of horizontal line 38, leading from one of a pair of lateral edges 42 to the other of the pair of lateral edges 42. Arced line 40 describes a radius of 12″ relative to the sight area 22 whereby the area between arced line 40 and sight area 22 is within 12″ of the sight area 22. In this example embodiment depicted, top surface 20 further includes a grid pattern 32 disposed to assist a player in visualizing the underlying topography of the ground surface upon which overlay 10 is placed. Grid pattern 32 also assists the player in evaluating end positions of shots that have missed sight area 22 to determine the correct break for subsequent shots.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate overlay 10 disposed upon a ground surface, here illustrated as two different greens. In use, ground surface is a golf green or practice green, however any ground surface may be used. In this example embodiment, overlay 10 is positioned overtop a cup. Vertical line 34 is positioned to mark the fall line leading from the low side of the cup. Horizontal line 38 therefore runs normal to the fall line. It should be noted that, in use of overlay 10, a player will shoot upon the ground surface proper, not upon top surface 20—the ball does not run upon top surface 20 until coming to rest within sight area 22 or overshooting or missing sight area 22. Thus, for at least the majority of the shot line, the speed of the ball corresponds to the speed of the ground surface proper, and not top surface 20 of overlay 10.

Top surface 20 of overlay 10 may be configured to present a coefficient of friction devised to match or closely approximate the speed of a green. However, the fact that a player is able to practice shots upon the green proper represents a useful improvement in the relevant art: the player is shooting upon the green proper, and the practice shot represents the same characteristics and performs in the same capacity as actual play upon the course in question.

Overlay 10 is positioned with sight area 22 overtop the intended target area. Target area may be a cup. Alternatively, target area may be any position upon a ground surface at which a player may wish to aim and/or practice shooting. Vertical line 34 is positioned to demark the fall line, pointing downslope from the target area. Overlay 10 therefore positions leading edge 28 at the high side of the target area or cup. The player aims for terminus 36 of vertical line 34 to position the correct break and enable holing the shot by gravity acting upon the ball to hole the shot. A correctly aimed shot accommodating the break will therefore come to rest in sight area 22, within the circumference of outer circle 24, corresponding to a holed shot. Where sight area 22 is positioned over top of a cup, the weight of the ball my sink the ball into the hole, at least partially. Shots that come to rest inside inner circle 26 represent a precision and mastery in holing the shot.

Where the shot breaks to the low side, the ball will enter onto the overlay 10 top surface 20. If the ball was hit with the correct amount of force sufficient to hole the shot were the break properly accommodated, then the ball should come to rest in the area depicted on the overlay between arced line 40 and horizontal line 38. If the ball is hit too hard, with force sufficient to overshoot the target area or cup, the ball will come to rest somewhere outside arced line 40 and potentially off the overlay 10 downslope of the target area. If the ball rolls through the sight area 22 and comes to rest within the arced line 40, the shot likely would have been holed. Thus, overlay 10 demarks shots for which the break was not properly accommodated whereby the player may take account of the line and adjust his or her aim and distance control appropriately.

Grid 32 further serves to aid the player in visualizing the underlying topography as well as line. Further, arced line 40 may include positional demarcations 44 indicative of directions of the clock, for example 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, and 3 o'clock. These demarcations 44 further assist a player in aiming and adjusting shots which broke to the low side of the target area or missed the target area and/or came to rest upon top surface 20. Ideally, if hit with the correct amount of force to hole the shot with a correct aim, the ball will always come to rest upon top surface 20 of overlay 20—either in or through the sight area 22 proper (and thus signal holing the shot) or between the arced line 40 and horizontal line 38 to signal the break.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C illustrate examples of shooting with overlay 10 demarking a target area. A well shot putt should decelerate as it nears the target area or cup (to lessen the consequence of overshooting) and, if the shot positions the ball at the high side in correct position, will allow gravity to hole the shot. FIG. 4A, therefore, illustrates the relationship of the player with overlay 10 demarking a cup. In this example illustration, the ball is lying at the 8:30 o'clock position relative to the target area, as can be visually determined by the player with reference to the demarcations on the top surface 20 of overlay 10. The player estimates the position of apex D by weighing the distance C of the ball from sight area 22; the distance B the player is from the fall line, demarked by vertical line 34; and the distance A of the fall line from apex D to sight area 22. FIG. 4A illustrates a slope of relatively low gradient. A player therefore aims the ball toward D and, if the break is accurately predicted, the ball will hole under influence of gravity completing the shot.

FIG. 4B illustrates an example of overlay 10 in use upon a slope of larger gradient than that shown in FIG. 4A with the ball lying at the 8:30 o'clock position relative to sight area 22. Here the distance of the fall line from apex D to sight area 22 is considerably larger due to the increased acceleration induced by the increased gradient. In like manner as described in conjunction with FIG. 4A above, player aims to position the ball at apex D whereby gravity takes over and continues the shot to hole the ball (as signified by the ball coming to rest in sight area 22). If the player overshoots (hits with too much force), the ball will roll over sight area 22 and roll over top surface 20, exceeding the area between arced line 40 and horizontal line 38. If the player misses sight area 22 but hits the ball with the correct force to otherwise hole the putt (that is, where the player misreads the break) then the ball should end its course upon top surface 20 between arced line 40 and horizontal line 38. Its final position will signal to the player the mistook break whereby corrective action may be taken to hole the putt in subsequent practice play.

FIG. 4C illustrates an example embodiment of overlay 10 in use upon a slope of relatively large gradient. In this illustrated example, the player will stand at approximately the 7 o'clock position relative to sight area 22. Due to the player's close relationship to the fall line, player has a short putt to apex D before gravity will assist to hole the putt.

The present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus 10, therefore, is useful in assisting a player develop confidence in their short game by visually signaling the topography and its effects upon the break of a shot line. The present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus 10 visually signals the correct break both before and after putting and enables a player to practice upon any green whereat said player is apt to play. The present golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus 10 enables a player to practice his or her short game in real world conditions and upon an actual green wherein the speed, lie, and line of play are represented as in actual game play. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus for use by a player seeking to improve his or her short game, said golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus comprising: a polymeric expanse devised to position upon a ground surface to demark a target area at which the player seeks to aim a shot, said expanse having a top surface, a bottom surface, a leading edge, and a distal edge; a sight area disposed upon the top surface proximal the leading edge, said sight area comprising: an outer circle having a diameter the size of a standard golf cup; an inner circle nested interior to the outer circle, said inner circle having a diameter the size of a standard golf ball; and at least one line disposed upon the top surface between the leading edge and the distal edge, said at least one line bisecting the sight area and having a terminus at the leading edge; wherein the sight area is positioned atop the target area such that the at least one line demarks the fall line of the ground surface and the terminus of the at least one line abuts the high side of the sight target area whereby a shot aimed to terminate at the terminus holes the shot into the sight area by action of gravity.
 2. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an arced line demarking a section of a circle disposed 12″ from the sight area, said arced line demarking an area upon the overlay within which shots come to rest if hit with the correct force and speed required to hole the shot but for a misplaced aim, wherein the player is apprised of a lie of the land and a corresponding break.
 3. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a horizontal line disposed upon the top surface parallel with the leading edge to bisect the sight area whereby said horizontal line visually assists orienting the overlay to correctly align the at least one line with the fall line.
 4. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 3 wherein the arced line comprises demarcations corresponding to the 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, and 3 o'clock positions relative to the sight area.
 5. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 1 wherein the top surface has a coefficient of friction approximately equivalent to the speed of a golf green.
 6. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 3 wherein the top surface further comprises a grid whereby the underlying contour of the ground surface is visually accentuated and missed shots coming to rest upon the top surface signal position relative the lie of the land and the break that missed holing the shot.
 7. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises 0.020 Styrene having a rubber laminated bottom surface and a transparent laminated top surface.
 8. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 3 wherein the top surface includes a printed graphic or photograph.
 9. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 5 wherein the apparatus comprises a rubberlike laminated bottom surface and a laminated printable top surface.
 10. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 9 wherein the apparatus is approximately 0.0125″ to 0.020″ thick.
 11. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 10 wherein the expanse is manufactured of: neoprene, neogreen, lycra, thermocline, silicone, thermoplastic elastomer, rubber, cloth, and/or styrene.
 12. A golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus comprising: an expanse of thin polymeric or rubberlike material devised for position upon a golf green to demark a target area, said expanse having: a top surface; a bottom surface; a leading edge; a distal edge; a pair of lateral edges; a sight area disposed upon the top surface proximal the leading edge; a vertical line disposed upon the top surface running between the leading edge and the distal edge, said vertical line having a terminus disposed at the leading edge and a magnitude that bisects the sight area and extends the vertical line at least 12″ toward the distal edge; a horizontal line disposed upon the top surface running between the pair of lateral edges in parallel with the leading edge, said horizontal line bisecting the sight area crosswise relative to the vertical line; an arced or semicircular line disposed upon the top surface spanned upon the horizontal line between the pair of lateral edges, said arced or semicircular line having a diameter of at least 12″ whereby the arced or semicircular line crosses the vertical line at least 12″ from the sight area; an outer circle disposed upon the sight area, said outer circle demarking an area of a standard golf cup, within which area a shot caused to come to rest therein upslope of the sight area would necessarily sink the shot into a cup were the sight area positioned overlying a cup; an inner circle disposed centrally within the sight area and the outer circle, said inner circle having a diameter the same size as the diameter of a standard golf ball; wherein the expanse is positional upon the golf green with the sight area disposed atop the target area such that the vertical line visually demarks a fall line of the golf green whereby a shot targeted to terminate at the terminus of the vertical line positions a golf ball to roll assisted by gravity into the sight area to signify holing the shot and whereby misplaced shots that come to rest upon the expanse downslope of the target area signal whether the shot was effectuated with the correct amount of drive and/or speed to hole the shot.
 13. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 12 wherein the arced or semicircular line further comprises demarcations corresponding to the 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, and 3 o'clock positions relative to the sight area.
 14. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 12 wherein the top surface has a coefficient of friction approximately equivalent to the speed of the golf green.
 15. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 12 wherein the top surface further comprises a grid.
 16. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus comprises 0.020 Styrene having a rubber laminated bottom surface and a transparent laminated top surface.
 17. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 14 wherein the top surface includes a printed graphic or photograph.
 18. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is approximately 0.0125″ to 0.020″ thick.
 19. The golf green topographic overlay and target assist apparatus of claim 18 wherein the expanse is manufactured of: neoprene, neogreen, lycra, thermocline, silicone, thermoplastic elastomer, rubber, cloth, and/or styrene. 